


The Monster Hero: Deku!!!

by LinnormsAndWyverns



Category: Venom (Comics), Venom (Movie 2018), 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: BAMF Midoriya Izuku, Bisexual Disaster Kaminari Denki, Class 1-A Friendship (My Hero Academia), Gen, Hungry Venom Symbiote (Marvel), Inspired by Venom (Movie 2018), Midoriya Izuku Does Not Have One for All Quirk, Midoriya Izuku is a Little Shit, Mineta Minoru Being an Asshole, Nedzu is a Little Shit (My Hero Academia), No beta we have grammarly, Parental Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Supportive Class 1-A (My Hero Academia), Toga Himiko Redemption, Toogata Mirio Has One for All Quirk, Vigilante Midoriya Izuku, Yagi Toshinori | All Might is a Bad Teacher
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-16 16:14:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29335122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LinnormsAndWyverns/pseuds/LinnormsAndWyverns
Summary: At the UA Entrance Exams, a boy appears with a strange power - the Symbiote. Between Nedzu's fascination with him to the strange way his quirk manifests, Aizawa is wary of whatever this kid brings.
Relationships: Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead & Midoriya Izuku, Carnage symbiote & traumatizing whoever he can't kill, Midoriya Izuku & Tokoyami Fumikage, Midoriya Izuku & Venom Symbiote (Marvel), Probably won't write romance but will absolutely write rampant bisexuality
Comments: 34
Kudos: 260





	1. Exam

**Author's Note:**

> yes hello this chapter is Aizawa centric  
> also, as any match for the symbiote should be, Izuku is a mouthy disaster child and has an undercut

The UA entrance exams were always worth watching.

Not just because they showcased the strengths and weaknesses of the incoming students and their reactions to danger, but because whenever quirks were shown off, something strange was bound to happen.

As he swallowed his third mug of coffee that morning, Shota remembered his first year as a teacher when a student had managed to puppeteer a Zero-Pointer, or just 2 years ago when a student had disappeared and re-emerged from the ground without any clothes.

As Hizashi cried “Start!” the teachers settled in to analyze from the observation room. Shota noticed an especially strange but familiar gleam in Nedzu’s eyes - The principal was watching with intent;  _ waiting _ for something. Judging from the fear in the room, he wasn’t the only one who noticed.

Nedzu was ready for something more than the Zero-Pointer - and that was a very, very bad sign.

“Nedzu, you’ve got somethin’ goin’ on in yer brain, we can tell - who’re ya watchin’?” Snipe dared to ask first, wary of the principal’s mood.

“I’m sure this year will be delightful, is all! You needn’t worry yourselves with me, the future students in front of you deserve your full attention!” The reply was as cheerful as ever, although something in it warned:  _ wait and see. _ Shota swallowed the last of his coffee and briefly considered spiking his next mug.

As the students sprung out and began their assault on the bots, Shota noted the early outstanding students - the explosive boy with the poor attitude was easily the highest scoring, followed by the Iida boy and the kid who was fusing bots together. They decimated the robots with ease, each with good control of their quirks. However, the heroics points would be more decisive.

Shota continued to watch carefully as the time counted down to the last 3 minutes. Students who had less than 10 points by now were bound to fail, although Nedzu’s patience seemed to be dwindling. He was still waiting, watching. Shota followed his eyes to a camera feed showcasing a boy with curly green hair and an undercut. Slimy black masses swept from his body and had the strength to destroy robots with ease, but he had little to show in speed or confidence. Whatever Nedzu saw in him, Shota didn’t see. He was unremarkable.

As Hizashi declared that only 2 minutes remained, Shota’s eyes left the slime boy. He only had 11 points, often outsped to battles he would have otherwise been awarded points for. He had no true potential, no matter how much wild fervor the kid moved with - darting from bot to bot, he often moved as if he knew where they were but hesitated and stopped to catch his breath often. The only truly notable thing about him was his periodic mumbling - Shota couldn’t read lips at the strange angles of the cameras, but his body language indicated a conversation.

Katsuki Bakugou, the explosive one, had nearly 50 villain points already. The kid was dangerously powerful and fast, and loud too. The Iida boy and the welder had plenty of points too, enough to guarantee passing. Hero points were decided by looking at the footage, but a few students were clearly heroic - The rock boy’s instincts were clearly to protect and shield his classmates, along with the girl with giant hands and the girl with incredibly maneuverable vine hair - she seemed serene as she indiscriminately crushed and tore robots in her vines white moving students out of the way. Her style, although too personal for an underground hero, was much preferable to Shota to the loud and angry cries from the other high-scorers. A minute-40 seconds.

The teachers were startled from their intent watching by Nedzu’s excited clapping. With the press of his remote, the screen expanded the feed showing a massive black monster leap through the fake city and rip villains to shreds. Its body had a muscular form, but it was made of sleek black slime. Its head roared as it crushed 3 robots in a matter of seconds, letting loose a massive pointed tongue and horridly large and sharp teeth. Its eyes were milky and pale, shaped like those of a snake but ending in jagged edges like those of a lightning bolt. The creature looked deeply unsettling.

A 3-pointer swerved around the corner at the monster, drawn by the roar and sounds of destruction. When the monster noticed the bot, its arm extended in a slimy tentacle and its claws grabbed the front of the bot’s chassis. As the bot was thrown in the pavement and smashed to pieces, Shota realized  _ the monster was certainly the same slime that came from that anxious boy _ . 

“Izuku Midoriya. Quirk: Symbiote - his body houses a powerful slime creature, which can also encase his body like it is doing now. Although, they sometimes have a bit of a disagreement, since the symbiote is a bit harsher and more animalistic. It makes you wonder what they’d do…” Nedzu said cheerfully, and with the press of a button and the mock cities shook as Zero-Pointers emerged. “...In a situation like  _ this _ .”

Shota put down his mug as he watched more closely - with curiosity and analytic intent, but also with wary eyes on the symbiote. Whatever it was, it seemed unsurprised but still fazed by the emergence of the bot. Then, it leapt towards the street the colossus rumbled forward, each impact and jump of the symbiote slamming with intense force against the ground - the thing was certainly heavier and stronger than its size indicated.

_ Now comes the opportunity for heroism _ , Shota thought, fists too tightly clenched for his coffee, eyes darting between examinees. The symbiote leapt into the center of the main road, eyes narrowing as it watched robotic arms tear through concrete buildings like tissue paper. It bounded forward, alternating between diving at the ground and bounding forward as soon as it landed and swinging by extending its arms.

Shota noticed, a moment after the symbiote, the girl trapped under the rubble, who was going to be caught under the massive treads in, as he gauged it, about 8 seconds. “That girl in the rubble… wasn’t she the one making robots float earlier? Why’s she stuck?” Nemuri wondered aloud, each of the teachers confused as she was.

“She’s clearly nauseous - she misjudged her limits and overused her quirk before the last minute.” Shota’s cold answer refocused the teachers, although he was sure he was asserting what they already knew:  _ either way, her quirk couldn’t help her now _ .

Eyes darted between the symbiote, the girl, and the Zero-Pointer. When the girl noticed the symbiote approaching her, her eyes went wide and she vomited sparkling colorful fluids. Shota couldn’t blame her fear, though, considering how monstrous and intimidating the symbiote appeared. It didn’t seem angry or cruel, though - its narrowed eyes and less curved smile signaled determination.

Its forearm and bicep bled together into a rapidly extending mass of slime that reached out towards the girl, the appendage batting away the chunk of rubble with ease and grabbing the girl with one massive claw. The arm shrank back towards the symbiote, which quickly looked around before leaping away, the weight of the girl unnoticed.

Shota was surprised by the aptitude of the student - or, perhaps, the symbiote -  _ He can pick his battles _ , he thought,  _ and either way, he wasn’t surprised by the Zero-Pointer _ .  _ Although, there are too many unknowns. I need to get my hands on his file _ . As time was called, Shota drank the rest of his coffee. From behind the mug, he mumbled, “Get me the symbiote boy’s file, or whatever else you know about his quirk.”

As he watched the symbiote shrink back into a nervous boy, his mind raced.

Why did he swear that was familiar?

* * *

Izuku stared at his letter, lost in thought - in worries, mostly. When his mom had scrambled in with it, he had been concerned with whether he would even get one, but now it was almost worse -  _ did _ he get in? If this was a rejection letter, he was sure things wouldn’t go over nicely. Besides, even if he did, what about his quirk? He wanted to be a hero, sure, but if anything went wrong he had already been promised hell.

**Open it already, your mom’s pacing outside.** the voice of the symbiote rumbled. He tore it in half with ease, and a metal disc clattered on his disc before erupting with light.

“I am here, as a projection!”

“Izuku Midoriya, you did exceptionally well on the written exam, and scored a solid 26 points against the villain bots! That’s impressive work, and will have you placed #34 in the entrance exams.”

“Before I continue, young Midoriya, I’d like to show you a video!” All Might pressed a button on a remote, and the projection swapped to a camera feed. “The girl from the exam…” Izuku mumbled aloud, getting an affirmative grunt from the symbiote.

_ “U-um... I know, uh, that the scary thing that saved me was an examinee. He didn’t seem, well, too confident after the exam… so, if you could, maybe, give him some of my points, I would appreciate that, because, h-he saved me.” _

“Young Midoriya! We can’t have students give other students points - however, this girl you saved brings me to the hidden part of the practical - not just your combat capabilities, but your heroic spirit!” as All Might spoke, snippets of footage of the exam played, corresponding with All Might’s words. “You crushed villains, but you also faced the Zero-Pointer without hesitation and rapidly rescued the person in danger! Afterward, you analyzed the situation and immediately left the dangerous situation when you were sure nobody else was in danger. That is the mark of an excellent hero, for which you are awarded 30 hero points! This places you in tenth place out of all practical exam scores!”

“Young Midoriya, I look forward to your educational journey at UA high school! Your letter contains important forms and details, of course - Future student: Go Beyond, Plus Ultra!”

Izuku couldn’t help but sputter and sob as the projection ended. He made it - he trained, improved, and  _ made it _ . 

“Izuku, honey, are you alright?”

“N-no, mom, I’m great, I a-actually, really made it!” Izuku and Inko Midoriya both cried tears of joy. “I’m making katsudon, tonight, then!” He and his mom hugged for a while, and then she grabbed her shoulders and looked at him. “I always knew you had it in you. Be careful, okay? I’ll always worry, you know, but you’ve got to be wary, alright? That principal worries me, honey.”

“Y-yeah, well, I’m not super excited for t-that, but, uhm, I can really be a hero!”

Izuku and Inko laughed a bit and read through the forms that had been in the letter before Inko had to go out. “I’ve got to get a few things, so I’ll leave you be - Don’t burn the house down while I’m out!”

“No promises!” Izuku shouted back, hearing the door bang shut a few moments later. Then, from the back of his mind,  **Y’know what we should** **_really_ ** **eat for a reward?**

Izuku lifted his head and spat back, “We’re on  _ parole _ , or whatever. We can’t go out, especially not before I get to walk around UA at least once. Mom’ll get us  _ something _ for you.”

**We’re surprised you’re not used to it by now.** Izuku didn’t justify the symbiote with a reply.  **Either way, you get UA and we’ll get what** **_we_ ** **want later. Asshole.**

“Well, maybe you’ll get to go all out again if you calm down for a week or two and I get to talk to Nedzu. You know neither of us wants me to end up locked up for the rest of my life, much less them attempting to deal with you. Dick.” Izuku bit back, but the nervousness of actually getting imprisoned was true under his snarky reply.

**You know best… let’s trust the literal rat, then? You think too highly of your** **_heroes,_ ** **we think, we could take ‘em.**

“I’m not fighting pro heroes for the rest of my life, you idiot, even if I could, what about my mom? You haven’t hidden the fact that you like  _ her _ , at least.” The symbiote couldn’t disagree, so it just grunted in acknowledgment. Izuku stared at the ceiling quietly, knowing he wasn’t alone, but the symbiote was quiet.

Once he made it to April, they were going to be going to UA High School -  _ UA, _ the greatest hero academy there was - Izuku couldn’t help his eyes watering and his smile widening. Despite the chaos of the past year, he was still a crier.

  
_ Now,  _ he thought,  _ I just have to survive UA. School’s never been too tough for me, anyway. _


	2. First Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last time, Izuku monster-ed out and passed the entrance exam despite scaring the glittery vomit out of Uraraka. Now for his first day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I'm shooting for weekly uploads, at least for now. The next one might be longer.

“Alright, then, that concludes the questions.” A buzzer filled the holding cell, the sound piercing Izuku’s skull. Another man stepped in. His voice was jovial and high-pitched, and he clearly stated “Midoriya, I’m here to make an offer, considering the... complications of your case.”

“A-an offer? Why? I really don’t deserve-” _Is that an animal in a suit? I must be seeing things, that’s why my head feels fuzzy, too, that’s-_

“I’m a Quirked animal, yes,” the creature replied. “You were mumbling. My name is Nedzu, and among other things, I am a highly intelligent hero. I’d like to put you through a program, similar to the one reformable vigilantes go through. If you take this offer, you’ll be trained and disciplined, and if you keep on track, you’ll be sent to UA-”

“UA? The _hero_ school? You really think _I_ can be a hero?” Izuku spat back as if he was offended, but something within him was genuine and curious. “You can be a great hero if you can contain yourself and your… ally. Of course, failing that, you can be tried, probably as an adult, and sent to Tartarus for the rest of your life. I’m not of the mind that that’s necessary, but I’m already pushing my luck by putting you through the reform program.” Nedzu’s answer was clear, as if rehearsed. “Besides, I’m familiar with the notebooks confiscated from your residence, and your conversations with police. I’m confident in your ability to become a great hero, even if it may take great effort.”

“I’d like to think about it.” _and maybe some water, or an advil, or a bed._ “We can arrange for things as simple as bedding and water, but you’ll only have 24 hours. You were mumbling again,” Nedzu chuckled. 

* * *

“Izuku, honey, it’s the first day! I let your alarm go for a bit since you were so tired from training, but you really should get more sleep!”

“Ugh. Um, g’morning, mom… what time’s it?”

“Your alarm went off 10 minutes ago. I’m surprised you’re not up, you’re usually more of a morning person.”

“Yeah, yeah, ‘m up.” Izuku finally peeled his eyes open and stretched, yawning as he swung his legs over his bed. Having packed his bag and prepared breakfast the night before, he was out of the door before he was even fully awake, and even though he hadn’t been to UA before he got there practically on autopilot. He only stopped when, while staring at the ground, he walked right into someone. Whoever he was, he wasn’t in a UA uniform. In fact, judging from the camera he had, he was with some media group.

Walking into him was a big mistake. Immediately, everyone within a few feet spun, yelling questions and flashing cameras when they could.

“What’s your name?”

“Are you excited to have All Might as a teacher?”

“What’s your experience with heroes?”  
  
Izuku, however, wasn’t the glowing child star they were looking for, and he certainly wasn’t interested in talking to them. He pursed his lips and crouched, making the reporters lean in, surrounding him already. He glanced up at the UA gate and jumped.

Izuku’s legs catapulted him over the crowd of reporters, a few feet past the gate. Without even a glance behind him, he kept walking to the main building. _UA’s main building_ . Looking up at the sparkling glass in front of him, it finally solidified that his work was beginning to pay off. A year ago, this was a fantasy, a month after that, impossible, but it was _real, now_.

It was only a few seconds after he stepped into the entrance hall that Izuku realized that UA was _not_ easy to navigate. He stumbled through the halls a bit, but he had a sense of where he was going - it helped that the classes were divided into sections and then ordered alphabetically, so he found the massive 1-A door in just a few minutes.

Izuku paused outside the door, if only for a moment. _I’m not nervous,_ he thought, _I have no reason to be. Deep breaths. Calm your excitement and your nerves. You were training for control, now it’s time to be a Hero._ He put his hand on the door handle, not letting himself wait any longer.

The room was empty, but he knew he was in the right place based on the date written on the chalkboard and the giant ‘1-A’ on the door. _In that case, I’m the first one here, so maybe it’s hard to find by design? I saw a few other students at the gate, but they could be in other courses. Is this a ‘test’ of our skills? It’s only the first day, though, so-_ Izuku’s hand clapped over his mouth when he realized that he was mumbling, just as the door swung open again and a few more students stepped in - none of which he was on great terms with, either. It was the girl from the exam, the blue-haired kid who was really strict, and the french-inspired twink. Luckily, his hand was still over his mouth, so instead of putting them all on worse terms, they just gave him weird looks as they said their greetings.

The other two had seen him, but the girl actually came up to his desk. “It seems like we’re the first few, huh? My name’s Ochako Uraraka. And you’re… Midoriya? Nice to meet you, Midoriya.”

“Oh, uh, nice to meet you too. Glad to see you made it after the whole sparkly-vomit thing.”

“Yeah, that’s a bit of a side effect of my quirk… wait, you saw that? So you’re…”

“The horrible-monster-thing? Yeah, that’s me! Yeah, I really can’t change the way he manifests around me.”

“O-oh, yeah, of course! I guess that means our quirks both have aspects we could live without, huh?”

Izuku was about to respond, maybe move into awkward small-talk, when the door opened again.

Shit.

“Am I seeing shit? Tell me I’m not seeing shit!”

“G’morning, Kaachan. You aren’t _seeing shit_ , I’m just in the hero course.”

Katsuki’s hands started to crackle with fire. “How the fuck’re you in the _hero course_ -“

As Izuku glared at Katsuki with a hint of fear in his eyes, he blurted “Don't you fucking explode - that’s gonna fuck me up with my Quirk-”

  
“Your _Quirk?_ Are you on something, Deku? You’re fucking Quirkless, last time I checked when you disappeared a year ago. Now you reappear from being _homeschooled_ in the goddamn Hero Course-”

“My Quirk, _Kaachan_ , is Symbiote, and noise and fire fuck it - and therefore me - up, and you are _both_ of those things. I’ve also been told it’s not fun to _watch_ , either, so could you back the fuck up?”

A few other students moved towards the argument, prepared to step in if need be, but before they could, their teacher cleared his throat from the podium. As the students startled and scrambled to their desks, he spoke. “That took far too long. Every moment you have as training heroes is invaluable. I’ll be your homeroom teacher, Eraserhead, but you will call me Aizawa-sensei in the classroom. In your desks, you’ll find gym uniforms, like these.” Eraser paused, presenting a neatly folded blue uniform. “Get changed and meet outside. No time to waste.” Just like that, the man stepped outside of the room and left them to their devices.

* * *

When everyone was accounted for on the field, Shouta explained, “You’re all familiar with these physical tests - today, you’re doing them with your quirks. Let’s see… Bakugou, you scored highest on the exam, right? First test’s easy, usual baseball throw, but do it with your quirk.”

“That’ll be easy,” Bakugou replied, marching confidently to the ring. Without pause, he slammed his foot down and yelled “Die!” as an explosion rocked the field.

“Good, good. 705.2 me- Midoriya, what are those?”

“Too much? I can’t do loud sounds, Aizawa-sensei.” Izuku replied, lifting one ear of his noise-canceling headphones to hear his teacher speak.

“Fair enough. You can go next, then, Midoriya.”

Izuku stepped into the ring. Turning to Shouta, he asked, “Is it just the feet that have to stay in the ring, or my arms too?”

“Your throwing arm can pass the boundary, I suppose.”  
  
“Perfect.” Izuku didn’t wind up for a typical throw - instead, he whipped his arm behind him, letting it grow into a mass of black tendrils, and extend to be about 20’ long, gripping the ball behind him. Using his body as a lever, he allowed his arm to whip forward with incredible speed, letting the ball loose and the slime twist back into his body.

“Good technique. 705.3 meters.”

As he walked back towards his classmates, Izuku got a few smiles or nods of approval, but he could definitely feel Katsuki burning holes in the back of his head with his glare. The rest of his classmates went similarly, excited to flex their quirks. Izuku’s scores were definitely good, although not the best in the class. When the group was moving to their third test, the 50-meter sprint, Shouta pulled him aside.

“I’ve seen your entrance exam, y’know. I don’t know why you seem to be avoiding using your full potential, but unless there’s an especially important reason, you’re making a mistake. In actual heroism, that kind of hesitation is dangerous. Understand?”

“Yes, sir, my apologies. I’m just worried that they’ll see me and be… afraid.”

“That’s on them. Besides, if you demoralize your opponents, your score’ll be better, anyways.” Aizawa's grin didn't shine in his eyes, and it was clear that he was all too excited to see the students' reactions.

Taking heed of Shouta’s advice, and harnessing a bit of his fear of Nedzu, Izuku took a deep breath as he stepped up to the starting line. _Alright, then. Let’s do this, all the way._

As Midoriya was surrounded by the symbiote, it quickly took a defined, muscular shape, and stretched above Tokoyami, who he was paired next to. It swam up his legs and torso in seconds, and as it reached his face, giant teeth emerged from the bubbling mass. When he reached his full height, he rolled his shoulders before settling into running position. He tried to ignore the gasps and whispers of his classmates - he knew they were afraid or appalled behind him, forget how they’d feel when they saw his face.

“Ready?” confirmed Shouta. Tokoyami nodded, while Venom gave a thumbs-up. “3… 2… 1… Go!”

_“4.2 seconds.”_ the robot buzzed as Venom passed, collapsing into Izuku’s body before his classmates got a good look at his face. A moment later, Tokoyami passed the line. _“5.7 seconds.”_

Izuku walked back towards his classmates calmly, but he was readying himself for an onslaught of horrified faces. Instead, a voice cut out over the class. “Dude, that was like, totally manly! You can incase yourself in your Quirk like that?” It was the red-haired boy, Kirishima.

“Yeah, that’s so versatile! One moment, it’s a strong tentacle, the next, you’re 3 meters tall and ready to kick ass!” The pink girl, too. _Do people_ _actually like the symbiote? Nobody’s ever thought he was cool…_ Izuku thought.

**Of course they think we’re cool. We’re a giant badass monster-hero.**

“Yeah, but those teeth are so freaky! You look like you came out of a horror movie!” Izuku winced at that, turning his head and seeing that it was Mineta speaking.

**Are you gonna listen to** ** _that_** **pussy? He’s pathetic. We could eat him -** ** _could_** **, if we wanted to.**

“Does your quirk change your height, or did you come out of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Asshole.” Izuku spat back. He knew he was being harsh, but he was also pissed that people were giving him shit for the symbiote.

“That’s enough of that. The next test is side-to-side jumps, c’mon.” Shouta cut in, leading them to the next section of the field.

As they watched their classmates leap side to side, Tokoyami approached Izuku. “I do think your Quirk is very interesting. In fact, it is quite reminiscent of my own, both having cacophonous minds of their own.”

“You could tell?” Izuku replied, “I was trying to keep it subtle, honestly… yours is Dark Shadow, right? I could definitely agree that they’re both a bit…” 

“Uncouth?” Tokoyami suggested, “I took notice of the alternate face and the way you seemed to be calling upon your inner darkness, although I could see how others would mistake it for merely steeling yourself to use your Quirk fully.”  
  


“Well, you’re right. Symbiote doesn’t mean some slime that is an extension of me, we’re… well, we’re symbiotic. He’s tough to reign in sometimes, for sure.”

“My Dark Shadow grows uncontrollable and dangerous when my consciousness is plagued by anger or despair, or in deep darkness, where it requires intense focus.”

“Alright, next. Midoriya. Your side to side, please.” Shouta announced, and as Izuku stepped up he briefly waved to Tokoyami. _Alright_ , Izuku thought, _something like the way Ojiro moved on his tail, or Tsuyu’s Quirk altered her legs to move more efficiently…_ As Izuku’s legs were coated in expanding black slime, he began to do his side-to-side jumps. The symbiote gave him strength and speed, but its fluidity let it minimize the impact and push the other direction without losing speed. Izuku scored well on this test, too.

* * *

Shouta activated his quirk to get the attention of the class. “Well, that’s all of the tests. Now, your results.” The projected chart was relatively unsurprising, with Mineta in dead last. Shouta’s glare met Mineta’s face, and he demanded “Mineta. Last place. Tell me, why do you want to be a hero.”

“S-so my epic escapades get me the attention of chicks! Nobody’d turn down a successful hero!” Mineta replied, confident enough in his answer to be unshaken by Shouta’s glare.

Shouta was not amused. The next day, there were only 19 students in attendance, and an open slot watched by hundreds nationwide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we opened about 10 months ago, and jumped to the present.  
> The backstory that is slowly being established may come as a surprise to the 3 readers who don't know venom eats people.


	3. Hunger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izuku tries to ignore his hunger. After all, he has to impress All Might in the exercise, and they're doing some off-campus training thing soon.

The symbiote woke up hungry.

Not hungry in the way that Izuku’s breakfast omelet satisfied - however good his mother’s cooking was, it wasn’t  _ enough _ . Neither was the breakfast sandwich Izuku picked up on the way to school, for good measure.

No, the symbiote was hungry, and it needed something a bit more than breakfast.

Izuku, too, felt the all-too-familiar pangs, but he pushed them away. He had worked too hard to discipline his urges, to push away the hunger when it struck, and his will would not break now. Still, the feeling wasn’t one he could just get used to, when the emptiness and the pain and the  _ hunger _ filled him and dragged him away from his thoughts.

As if on autopilot, Izuku dragged his feet to UA. He made it to homeroom, but the morning’s announcements and information were little more than a hum in his ear. He could feel his eyes unfocus, his mind drift, the hunger throbbing in him desperately, no care for where or when. He barely understood All Might’s booming announcement about the practical exercise, but when the costume cases slid out of the wall he got the memo - stumbling to his feet, he ignored Katsuki and hauled the case to the dressing room.

When he slid his coat on, he was reminded of his habits a year ago. He modeled it after what he was comfortable fighting in, after all. He tried to stop his thoughts from drifting to what he’d  _ do _ in the ratty old coat from his spree a year ago, but they pulled him back to the thought of hunger, of  _ eating _ . He absently took stock of his shin guards and boots and worked the strange clip on his utility belt, but his body still panged for real food.

Living food.

* * *

All Might’s voice boomed over the class as he drew lots. “Team B is Villains, team G the Heroes! Take your places and think effectively, students!”

_ Team G: Mashirao Ojiro and Tooru Hagakure vs. Team B: Izuku Midoriya and Yuga Aoyama _ flashed the holoscreen behind him, and he watched as the students moved excitedly for their first practical - well, three moved excitedly and one moved like a zombie. That one was Midoriya - All Might could remember that from the entrance exam, for sure. All Might was a man who’d never back down, but he’d admit that Symbiote was unsettling.

* * *

“ _ Mon ami _ , are you feeling  _ bien _ ?” Aoyama energetically leaned down as he spoke, his question grounding Izuku enough to respond.

“Yeah, ‘m fine, just a bit tired. They’re both martial combatants though, you’ll be able to handle them well if you can keep your distance.” Izuku tiredly spoke back, his speech halfway between drunk and sickly.

“ _ Oui, oui, _ of course! Our bomb has been placed in the middle of the building, so unless Ojiro can climb we’re expecting first-floor entry…”

“Well Hagakure is invisible, so our goalie needs good senses. You can patrol, Symbiote’s pretty helpful for the sensory stuff.”   
  
“Of course,  _ mon ami _ . After all, a star sparkles brightest  _ en solo _ .”

“Sure, ‘m tired anyways. Let me know when you see ‘em.” Izuku practically fell over to sit down, letting Aoyama strut away in his clanking metal boots. The sound stung in his ears, the fluorescent lights all too bright, and he tried to shut it all out and calm himself.  _ Deep breaths… In, 2, 3, 4, out, 2, 3, 4. In, 2, 3, 4, out, 2, 3, 4. _ His body rocked with a hollow feeling of hunger. At least that would keep him aware.

* * *

“All right, the ‘grace period’ is over, students! Heroes may begin their assault!” All Might boomed over the students’ earpieces, watching from the observation room under the building. Hagakure had already taken off her gloves and boots, and she slipped in as quietly as she could, breaking off from Ojiro. Their plan was simple enough: Ojiro was an experienced martial artist, so he would fight the ‘Villains’ and she would detach to scout and claim the bomb, if at all possible. Aoyama’s clanking boots were incredibly un-stealthy, so Hagakure never even had to see him to know where he was - she tapped her earpiece to speak in the hero channel, and whispered “First floor clear. Aoyama sounds like he’s in the northern portion of the building.”

The exercise didn’t give the observers much to see for a few minutes. Hagakure scouted the first and second floors and Ojiro positioned himself to ambush Aoyama.  _ Smart, _ All Might thought,  _ Ojiro can force his opponent to fight close and personal if he plays his cards right, and that’s a fight he’ll win. _ Of course, the timer was also drawing closer. Hagakure would have to move quickly.

With 3 minutes left on the clock, Ojiro sprang on Aoyama. Beginning with a strike to the center of mass and following with a leg sweep, Ojiro quickly sent Aoyama to the ground. Without a moment’s hesitation, he slammed Aoyama flat with his tail and used his capture tape - much to the chagrin of Aoyama, who bitterly mourned for his previously untouched cape.

* * *

Izuku cleared his head when he heard Aoyama’s yell. It wasn’t the signal he was hoping for, but he knew that either Hagakure had seized him, pinpointing her location, or Ojiro had ambushed him, meaning the trained fighter wouldn’t find him too soon. Either way, he rose to his feet warily, letting the symbiote swell over the sleeves of his coat, but not overtake him. As it emerged, the hunger he felt deepened, thrumming under his skin and inside his skull, the manifestation of the symbiote making the sensation nigh-unbearable.

Izuku focused, allowing the hunger to encourage the symbiote and fill him with adrenaline. If the ‘Heroes’ were doing sweeps of each floor, it was taking them a surprisingly long amount of time. 

Then, in a tiny voice normal human ears wouldn’t notice, he heard “I’ve located the bomb.”

In an instant, Izuku’s arms bulged and flew out in massive tendrils, reaching for Hagakure’s invisible form. While he couldn’t see her, his arms were fast and large enough that a guess would be plenty. His hands tightly gripped her skin the moment they slammed her into the wall.  _ Her warm skin, the heat of the blood underneath, and the rapid heartbeat _ … Izuku quelled the thought before the word ‘delicious’ came to mind. He secured her with capture tape and waited for Ojiro, trying desperately to ignore the thoughts of hunger.

* * *

Izuku played the part of a Villain _very_ well.

When Hagakure approached, she immediately noticed the look in his eyes — wide and watchful, but not paranoid — he was almost fervent. In a deeply unsettling way, it reminded her of a predator looking for prey. From the doorway, she whispered, “I’ve located the bomb” into her earpiece. She considered waiting for Ojiro before coming too close or engaging, but Symbiote’s black arms slammed her against the wall violently before she could take a step.

Immobilized, she couldn’t help but watch as Izuku stared at her for a moment, tipping his head contemplatively with that same wild look in his eyes before shaking his head and adjusting his pin on her to use the capture tape. He stepped back to the center of the room, in front of the bomb, but every now and then his eyes would drift towards Hagakure, a hollow and foreboding light in them every time he glanced at her.

Ojiro stepped into the room in fighting stance, capture tape ready for use in one hand. He reacted far more appropriately to Izuku’s initial onslaught, but he wasn’t getting any closer due to Izuku’s rapid attacks. Slamming his tail into another oncoming claw, he bounded forward, only for a giant hand to hit its mark and slam him against the wall. As Izuku stomped forwards, his facial features warped and grew monstrous, into a snarl that Hagakure could feel reverberate in her gut. Izuku’s massive tongue dragged across Ojiro’s face before Symbiote’s face melted away and Izuku wrapped Ojiro in capture tape.

“Villain team wins!” All Might’s voice buzzed through their earpieces, and Izuku quickly undid the capture tape of both Ojiro and Hagakure, silent and distant. He paused at the windowsill, quietly and flatly saying “I don’t know where Aoyama is. You should go untie him.”

Hagakure and Ojiro were both left behind when he lept out the window, although Ojiro was frantically rubbing his face with his sleeve.

* * *

Although nobody was harmed beyond bruises in the exercise, Recovery Girl demanded a checkup before the students went down the observation room to watch the other matches. Ojiro, Hagakure, and Aoyama were all vetted before Izuku dragged his feet in.

“Mr. Midoriya, you aren’t suffering from any injuries, but you’re clearly  _ malnourished _ . I’m surprised you haven’t passed out, all things considered. when was your last meal?”

“Oh, I ate this morning, ‘m just trying to get a grip on my Quirk’s diet…” Izuku slurred in response, shamefully aware of how awful he sounded.

“Mr. Midoriya, you’re nearly feverish and you’re  _ starving yourself _ . I’m aware of your situation, but I also know that you can eat any variety of living food and have a very specific regiment. I’ll have to inform Nedzu that this is happening and feed you, you know.” Izuku was out before she finished speaking, lost in a mix of exhaustion and pain.

* * *

The night before the big ‘off-campus exercise’, Izuku slept much better than he had the past few days. The feeling of hunger was sated, or at least weak enough to ignore. No matter how gross the action of eating was, the feeling didn’t persist and he managed to force it from his mind after a few hours. Chicken — birds at all, really — were still an unfavorable choice on the ‘living creature-food’ tier list.

Izuku opened his eyes a few minutes before his alarm, his biological clock ringing out — alongside, of course, the voice in his head.

**Good morning, asshole.**

“Mornin’, dickwad. How’d you sleep.”

**Don’t sleep. Making sure** **_you_ ** **don’t die.**

“Don’t get on your high horse, if I don’t sleep we both die.”

**Asswipe.**

Izuku stumbled out of his room a few minutes later with his uniform worn at about half effort - his tie wasn’t great, and it hung out of his blazer, but he didn’t really care. He hadn’t even had breakfast yet — although fish and miso soup were probably good for today. He didn’t need coffee to be awake this early, but that came with a drawback: Breakfast was much bigger, because he was eating for a ridiculously accelerated metabolism.

Two bowls of soup and 3 cuts of fish later, Izuku walked to school, pace set to get there 20 minutes early — plenty of time, really. Classes that day were uninteresting, all things considered. He was already well-versed in the academics being taught at U.A. Staring at his finished math work, he was almost happy to have passed out after the exercise a few days ago. His classmates’ Quirk analysis was probably worse than his at single-digit ages. Heroics was what he could look forward to — whether or not it was easy, it was  _ something _ . 

“All right, you can all wear your costumes, but it’s up to you. We’re doing rescue training: natural disasters, collapsed buildings, that sort of thing. As I mentioned earlier this week, we’ll be doing this exercise off-campus, so we’ll be taking a bus. Meet on the field in 10.” Aizawa’s announcement was punctuated with his exit. Izuku, though, couldn’t help but slide further down his seat with a sigh. Considering what his classmates had seen of him, he could only imagine how annoying it would be to see them attempt to avoid him.

When he slipped his poor excuse for a hero costume on a second time, it already felt broken in. He wasn’t too surprised, though, since it could be comfortable and didn’t need any tight highly-mobile pieces or large amounts of protective gear. While he stared into his empty locker buckling his belt, he felt a finger jab into his back. Behind him, Kaminari said “Nice costume, dude! It suits your energy.” Kaminari waited awkwardly for a response, but Izuku just gave him a half-assed glare. “Anyways, I was thinking you could fit a nice big logo on the back here, since it’s all really empty space and all.” Izuku grunted in agreement, but he felt pleasant surprise at his classmates being better than his ‘friends’ at Aldera.

On the bus, Izuku sat next to Tokoyami. Uraraka and Iida were having some weird icebreaker activity, but Izuku didn’t notice until they ravelled him in. “What about you, Midoriya? What did you do before U.A, like, to train?” Uraraka asked.

“Well, I did train with a few minor pros, but-”

“No way! You trained with pros?

“ _ But _ , it was more about discipline. Control of my Quirk and study. Trust me, you wouldn’t know their names, and I can’t get you an autograph.”

“Control? But you fight so well!”

Izuku sighed. “Symbiote is a lot like Dark Shadow. He’s a prick and has some level or inherent strength, heightened senses, and combat. It’s weird.”

“Oh that’s so cool! What about you, Kirishima?”

To his everlasting gratitude, Izuku had managed to steer that conversation away from prodding questions and explain the symbiote before it got weird. He tipped his head towards the window, but there was someone pestering him.

“Midoriya! Midoriya! Midori! Hey,” Kaminari yelled, finally getting Izuku to look his way, a few seats down, before he exaggerated a lip bite and said “What that tongue do?”

Izuku stifled the little huff that would’ve betrayed his amusement. “Do you really want to find out?” Izuku replied, winking. If anything, he was going to  _ win  _ this weird interaction.

“I don’t know, I’m not really a verbal learner. You’ll have to  _ show me. _ ”

“Oh, I can show you something.”

“Can you two stop being so gross? Your conversation isn’t exactly private.” Jirou yelled at them, jabbing Kaminari — who was much closer — with her jack.

Izuku winced, “Sorry, it’s kinda inherent to being full of egotistical slime.”

“Yeah, that’s fair,” Sero replied, “We’ve all been there.”

The bus burst into laughter, much to the chagrin of Aizawa.

_ Way better than I expected that to go,  _ Izuku thought.

A few minutes of conversation later, including a chat with Dark Shadow (who was shockingly dissimilar to Tokoyami), the bus reached its destination. Aizawa and Thirteen, the other teacher there, were saying something about it being the ‘USJ, the perfect rescue training facility’ but Izuku wasn’t really paying attention. He had an odd headache, one that felt like an itch in his skull, distracting and odd. But with it came a chill of danger. As he felt goosebumps form on his skin, the itch became a chant.

**Run. Run. Run. Run. Run.**

It filled him with adrenaline. Izuku wasn’t sure whether or not to listen, until a purple mist swelled into existence in the USJ’s plaza. From far away, like it was underwater, he heard Aizawa yell “These are villains! Thirteen, protect the students!” before jumping down the stairs. He was more focused on maintaining some level of control over the symbiote.

**Should’ve listened, pussy.**

“I’m not just gonna run for no reason, they literally have a task force for if I try to do that. With flame heroes on it.” Izuku whispered back, watching carefully as the mist-villain appeared at the main entrance and announced something about the ‘League of Villains’. Bakugou flew at him, but Izuku had seen his Warp Quirk, so he wasn’t exactly surprised when mist swirled around him. Then, he was underwater.

Venom swirled around him, mostly so he didn’t accidentally breathe in water, but it was also somewhat capable in water. It spun around to see an approaching sharklike villain, and despite sluggish movements in the water, managed to knock him out in one good blow to the jaw. When he saw a few more approaching and realized they might have ranged quirks, he leapt out of the water to the nearest surface — a large boat. He was still in the USJ, at least.

* * *

Aizawa wasn’t suited to combat like this.

Dealing with large groups was something he trained for, but it wasn’t his preferred environment, and these shitty Villains just kept running at him. He wasn’t quite overwhelmed, but he knew as soon as the three ‘leaders’ in the middle of plaza moved, he was as good as dead.

The warp Quirk one — Kurogiri — was watching alongside the man he called Shigaraki, and beside them stood a giant, drooling monster, well over 8’ tall with an exposed brain and a bird beak. It was horrifying. They all sat still while he took down Villain after Villain, and he wasn’t sure if they were waiting or just curious. Then, Shigaraki moved.

He was faster than Aizawa had given him credit for, considering his gauntness and his awful posture. Aizawa realized a moment after he began fighting the man that his attack was extremely well planned to execute some kind of attack when he had to blink.

When he opened his eyes, the skin on his elbow was gone, and the sadistic light in Shigaraki’s eyes shined for a moment before he spoke. “Nomu… why don’t you  _ occupy _ Eraserhead.” The monster leapt on him, crushing his body into the plaza’s stone. He felt bones snap and wounds open, but he tried desperately to cancel the monster’s Quirk.

Nothing happened, and it crushed him back into the stone. He barely hung onto consciousness, but he heard another ground-shaking thud.  _ Do they have a second one? The kids! _ Aizawa thought, unable to make his body move much more than lift his head. Through the blood on his brow, Aizawa saw the rippling form of Izuku’s symbiote, dripping wet and already in some kind of fighting stance.

The Nomu seemed to notice Izuku at the exact same time, and it let go of Aizawa’s hair as its beady eyes swiveled towards Izuku.

**“Why don’t you pick on someone your own size, you dogshit-eating bird fucker!”**

Then, the Nomu was launched off of Aizawa by a giant black fist.


	4. USJ

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izuku beats up a Nomu with words and sharp claws, angering and confusing pretty much everyone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short chapter because between schoolwork and not wanting to write this chapter I was having difficulty. Sorry it's late yall

The symbiote watched as the Nomu stood up at the edge of the plaza, eyes still beady and blank. Shigaraki didn’t order it, just watched with a murderous glare, but the Nomu charged with a roar nonetheless. The symbiote returned the cry and bared its jagged teeth, starting to move forward to collide with the Nomu.

The 2 monsters collided at full force, releasing a shockwave as the symbiote caught the Nomu’s scarred arms. They struggled against each other, snarling as the ground beneath their feet cracked and shifted against the sheer force of their struggle. The Nomu drooled as it slowly pushed and twisted its arms out, its overpowering strength forcing the symbiote to let go. As soon as it was released, its fist slammed into the symbiote’s chest with extreme speed and strength.

The symbiote felt the impact rock through it, the way the force coursed through him and the taught tendrils of muscle-like slime on its back loosened from the incredible power, launching it into the stairs.

Shigaraki let loose a hollow laugh, shouting, “You trying to play  _ Hero _ , kid?” his arm swung towards the Nomu, “Do you like it? This is my  _ Nomu. _ It’s supplied with multiple Quirks — speed, strength, hyper-regeneration, shock absorption… it’s a super-powered living sandbag.” A mass of slime pushed the symbiote from the ground, before receding into his back. He lowered himself into a low fighting stance again, snarling,  **“Super-strength? Hyper-regeneration? This dicksucker’s nothing, really.”** Shigaraki’s red eyes glared at him, in a mix of surprise and anger. 

“So full of yourself, aren’t you. It’s unfair! Nomu!” The beast leapt forward without hesitation, although this time the symbiote reacted to the way it attacked and held it at bay, clawing at its body and face.

“It’s unfair, unfair,  _ unfair! _ How’d a person like you get labeled ‘Hero’, get into U.A.! You’re no better than we are — no, you’re worse,  _ Venom. _ How dare you pretend to protect people!” Shigaraki screamed, his voice rasping at the volume and fervor with which he spoke. The symbiote bit and clawed into the Nomu, but it took the opportunity to bat him away and onto the back foot. The Nomu pressed down upon the symbiote its attacks incredibly fast and without pause. The Nomu wasn’t even significantly stronger than the symbiote, but it was entirely unrelenting, and the symbiote had no chance.

_ Think, think, c’mon _ , Izuku thought from within the symbiote,  _ Something. We’re pretty much the same here, so how can I use my strength  _ —  _ how can I overcome its speed… _ an onslaught of fists finally pushed the symbiote off his footing again. He managed to stay upright with a claw in the ground, but the Nomu stepped forward again.

Or, it would’ve, if Bakugou hadn’t rocketed towards Kurogiri and Shigaraki from the sky. “Shut the hell up, Handjob!  _ Die! _ ” His palm flashed before unleashing a massive explosion, but the smoke blew away quickly to reveal the Nomu’s arm between Bakugou and his targets. It began to ruthlessly swing, but its arm was caught by a giant tendril of slime, the symbiote’s arm extended. Even simply stopping the blow released a shockwave that blew Bakugou through the air.

**“A notable feature of super-strength,”** the symbiote drawled,  **“is that it doesn’t alter weight, allowing incredible feats…”** Todoroki, who had appeared a second earlier, used the moment to freeze the Nomu in place. It wouldn’t last, but it’d do long enough.  **“Lots of asswipes don’t even consider it, but punching is one of its worst applications.”** The symbiote took the Nomu’s moment of stillness to let his tendrils further grip the Nomu, simultaneously anchoring him on his shoulder — just like the ball, in the Quirk Apprehension Test.

**“If I can’t incapacitate or immobilize this shitstain,”** the symbiote growled,  **“I’ll just remove it from play!”** with that, the ice shattered as the Nomu whipped through the air with the full force of the symbiote’s strength. The plaza was filled with the mingled sounds of the symbiote’s roar, rushing air, and the ripping clap of the sound barrier as the Nomu was launched through the dome. Shigaraki stared in enraged awe as clouds parted in its way, before turning towards the symbiote again.

“You… you… dammit!” Shigaraki screamed, swinging his arms wildly, “You fucking  _ bug! _ You shouldn’t exist, you should be  _ patched out!  _ I can’t believe that the fucking One-And-Only  _ Venom _ is in a fucking Hero school! You’re a fucking error, and I’ll mod the client myself if I have to!” Shigaraki dashed forward, low to the ground, hands open like claws, and Venom almost shuddered at the itch for violence the man felt, the bloodlust shining in his red eyes like burning sunlight on polished metal. Venom batted him away, but he collided with purple mist instead of the ground - and just like that, the ‘main’ Villains were gone as suddenly as they appeared.

Venom sunk back into Izuku, who promptly collapsed. His body ached as he slipped into unconsciousness, deeply exhausted and — while uninjured — incredibly  _ sore _ from the powerful and fast impacts of the Nomu.

* * *

Nedzu had known what was coming, but he really wouldn’t be bothered if Aizawa was in a haze of painkillers and fatigue for another few days. He could practically feel the glowing red eyes piercing through his bandages, through the security camera outside Nedzu’s door, and straight into his soul. When his doors slid open, Nedzu barely even opened his mouth before Aizawa stomped forwards and demanded, “Who the  _ hell _ is Izuku Midoriya.”

“I figured this was what you wanted to discuss,” Nedzu replied, managing to maintain a facade of calm and his fur not yet standing on end. “Midoriya is… he’s a special case, of mine, really just a reiteration of the vigilante reform syst-”

“So he  _ is  _ the culprit behind over 30 murders, then,” Aizawa drawled back, falling into a chair with anger. “I’m only sitting because you have a hell of a lot of explaining to do.”

“I suppose I do… you’re  _ half _ right. He’s technically the culprit of the Venom case, but it’s also up to Venom himself,” Nedzu responded carefully, as if testing the waters.

“Venom… are you telling me his Quirk compelled him to do  _ that? _ ”

“It did, yes. Apparently it… it subsists on  _ living _ creatures,” Nedzu explained, “And at the time, Midoriya was extremely distraught, the-”

Aizawa bit back, unsatisfied, “ _ Extremely distraught _ does not cut it, Nedzu.”

“He thought he lost his mother in a Villain attack, he was surprised and out of control of the development of Venom, and he showed signs of some level of PTSD and extreme anxiety, even before the manifestation of his Quirk,” Nedzu countered, true confidence returning to his false voice, “At the very least, despite all of that, he expressed some level of control — and if not that, at least heroic  _ intent _ . I still clearly remember how he put it: He ate Villains, if he had to eat anyone. Besides that, he patrolled for villanous activity, but he never set out for the sake of… hunting.”

“So you found a kid who ate people due to his Quirk who wanted to be a hero.”

“Pro Hero Hawks and Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi  _ found _ him. I pulled strings to give him the choice to be intensely trained and put into U.A., because I feel that his talents should not be wasted-”

“Yeah, and that —  _ Hawks _ was on the case for what, 15 days? This kid was impossibly hard to find,  _ ate people _ , and you’re going to take him in? Just for a flashy fucking Quirk, Nedz-”

“Do not put words in my mouth, Eraserhead,” Nedzu replied, much colder than before, “It certainly makes it more appealing that his Quirk is powerful, but I am more concerned with what the other choices were. Leave him with the urge to eat people? Put a child in Tartarus? If that happened, do you think they’d even give him livestock? He’d starve, he’s been  _ starving himself _ anyways for god’s sake, just because he feels the need to train out  _ hunger _ .” Aizawa seemed somewhat satisfied with that answer — if not that, just too tired or shocked to respond. 

Aizawa finished his tea and left, and when Nedzu was certain there was no chance of observers, he let out a deep sigh.

He did not say what he nearly finished his tirade with —  _ Besides the fact that Quirk suppressors wouldn’t work on a symbiote. _

The world was more complex than Nedzu wanted to admit.

* * *

Naomasa Tsukauchi needed more coffee.

He looked up at his partner with tired eyes, groaning, “Run that by me again?”

“3 bodies were found in this alley a few hours after sunrise. As far as we’re aware, they weren’t incredibly recent, but definitely last night,” Tamakawa replied.

Tsukauchi’s fingers ground into his brow as he approached the scene. Dry blood still painted swaths of the alleyway, along with clear cuts, impacts, and wedge-like damage in the terrain. Despite the recent trend, this couldn’t be the work of the Hero Killer. The victims were civilians, the perpetrator was obviously somewhat large and strong, and whatever sharp implement they used was able to easily scrape through and piece into the brick walls.

Tsukauchi ran a gloved hand over the scrapes on the walls, and turned to Tamakawa, asking “Any nearby sightings?” Tamakawa shook his head. “What about the wounds of the victims? Anything notab-”

“Bite marks.” Tamakawa’s reply was solemn and knowing, And it startled Tsukauchi out of his train of thought. He looked up slowly, but he knew before he made eye contact, that Tamakawa told the truth. It was, after all, the nature of his Quirk, ringing out in his chest like a buzzer.

“Izuku Midoriya was fully accounted for last night. I double-certify that every morning at 6:30 AM. This isn’t identical, though… an imitaitor?”

“An imitaitor, a year after the original string of kills?” Tamakawa questioned, “Besides, most imitaitors go after Stain’s example. Whoever this is, I figure they just have a similar Quirk to his.”

“If we’re dealing with a  _ similar Quirk _ , we’re fucked,” Tsukauchi mused in reply, “Last time we barely tracked him down with Hawks, and this time he’s clearly… sharp.” Tsukauchi examined the wedge-like crevices in the walls, as if it a knife had been embedded in it in a single throw. Tracing the dried blood off the crevice, he barely noticed the way it seemed to spell something in blood.

“Tamakawa…” He examined it further. While trying to figure out what the smudged writing even said, he realized that none of the corpses were anywhere near this wall, much less at the sort of height that would write at that point of the wall — all of the victims were fairly tall, compared to this low writing.

On the wall, was scrawled “Help me” in drying blood. By all estimations, it was written by the perpetrator.

Naomasa Tsukauchi needed more coffee.

* * *

“The Sports Festival is pretty soon,” Aizawa announced to his class, glaring before they could become disruptively excited. “I expect that you show the progress you have made since the beginning of the year. Don’t forget, either, to keep an eye on the other courses. Your next classmate is almost certain to come from one of them, don’t forget.” His class stared at him, eating up every word. “As for concerns with Villain attacks, security will be heightened, and there’ll be too many pros on the scene for them to do anything. Any questions?”

“Kero, excuse me, Aizawa-sensei, but…” Tsuyu looked at Izuku and tilted her head inquisitively, continuing, “Why were the Villains so  _ mad _ at Midoriya?” 

Before Aizawa could respond, Izuku opened his mouth with a deep sigh, “I had a bit of a run of vigilantism a while ago. Really, it’s in the past, and I’m right with the law and all that.” None of the students noticed, but Aizawa’s eyes narrowed slightly. It wasn’t a  _ lie _ , per say, but it was clearly a rehearsed answer.

Not that Aizawa cared all that much, so long as Izuku stayed in line.


End file.
